Suikoden VI

Chapter One: Part One

Note: The Suikoden series is the property of Konami. I just own the original characters in this fanfic. I started this series in 2015 because I was frustrated with the lack of a new Suikoden game and wanted to show basically what I would do if I was in charge of the series. I have been sporadically updating this story on other websites, but I unfortunately went on a 4-year hiatus due to health reasons and because I lost almost all of the data I had created for this series. After I recreated some of the data I resumed writing on this series a few months ago and thus far have successfully kept to a schedule of weekly updates. A reader recommended me to come to this website and I look forward to sharing this fanfic here. 

I've also tried to encourage fan participation with reader polls. Since I first published this fanfic four polls have finished and there are currently three ongoing polls at fanfiction.net. The links to said polls will be available in corresponding chapters, but for posterity sake I will include results of past polls in the chapters that first announced the polls results.

Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Cover of story created using Dream by Wombo.

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"In the beginning, there was "darkness." Then, the "darkness" shed a "tear." From that "tear," the brothers Sword and Shield were born. Shield claimed it could defend against any attack. Sword claimed it could slice through anything. The brothers began a legendary battle. At the end, both Sword and Shield shattered. Sword became the sky, Shield became the earth, and the sparks from the battle became the stars. As for the jewels that adorn Sword and Shield, they fell to the ground and became the True Runes—the runes that all other runes were born from."

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On the Southern Continent and to the southwest of the Queendom of Falena lay the isolated Theocracy of Nagarea. Deeply and devotedly religious, giving praise and worship to the deity of war, Nagar, this was a country that has had minimal contact with the outside world since the Great Earthquake of 376, over one hundred years prior, damaged the land route between Falena and Nagarea.

But the populous was content. Believing themselves divine and superior to the rest of the world, they lived for their worship of Nagar and were devote believers.

But...then everything changed. And suddenly, not even the "divine" followers of Nagar were safe from the wrath of this violent god.

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Chapter One: Part One

Along the southeastern coast of Nagarea, in a rocky region appropriately named the Rocky Plains, lay an abandoned mine that was one hundred meters deep. Though it was abandoned over twenty years prior, less than a decade ago the mine was reopened...but it wasn't for commercial use. Instead, it was opened to be used as a labor camp for criminals.

Criminals who happened to be children.

This mine had been nicknamed the "Dark Chasm" because of how little sunlight could penetrate the massive shaft, and because of the absolutely horrifying living and working conditions the children endured. Children between the ages of eight and seventeen are routinely sentenced to manual labor in this mineshaft because in the eyes of the Theocracy they are sinful, demonic monsters who have sinned against Nagar. In the eyes of the Theocracy, the hard labor is but a mercy they grant these children so they can work for forgiveness from their god and cleanse their souls of evil.

Most of the children in the Dark Chasm never committed a crime in their lives. And none of the children were evil. But in accordance with the religious law of "Original Sin", they were tried and sentenced for a crime they did not commit, but are equally punished for the crime if their family member committed it.